vulnerability / NVI-00013072 / Revision 4
JLine: ReDoS in Nano Editor Regex Search Mode
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for org.jline:jline-builtins, org.jline:jline-builtins. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
6.5 medium
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
6.5 MEDIUM (3.1)
security-advisories@github.com severity; no combined Null risk score.
0.434%
FIRST EPSS model v2026.06.15; exploitation probability over 30 days, percentile 0.37846. Missing scores are unknown.
As of · FIRST EPSS
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
org.jline:jline-builtins
source listed>= 4.0.0, < 4.3.1
### Summary When regex search mode is enabled in the JLine3 `nano` editor, the user-supplied search term is compiled directly as a Java regular expression with no timeout or backtracking bound. A crafted pattern such as `(a+)+b` can hang the editor session thread at high CPU, causing a denial of service for that session. ### Details In `builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Nano.java`, the search implementation uses `Pattern.LITERAL` only when regex mode is disabled. When regex mode is enabled, the search term is compiled as a raw Java regex: ```java Pattern pat = Pattern.compile( searchTerm, (searchCaseSensitive ? 0 : Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE | Pattern.UNICODE_CASE) | (searchRegexp ? 0 : Pattern.LITERAL)); ``` This regex is then applied to buffer content. Because Java's regex engine is backtracking-based, nested-quantifier patterns can take exponential time on non-matching input. Affected source location: - `builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Nano.java` - `doSearch(String text)` ### PoC 1. Create a file containing a long run of `a` characters and open it in the JLine3 `nano` editor. 2. Enable regex search mode with the editor's
org.jline:jline-builtins
source listed>= 3.0.0, < 3.30.15
### Summary When regex search mode is enabled in the JLine3 `nano` editor, the user-supplied search term is compiled directly as a Java regular expression with no timeout or backtracking bound. A crafted pattern such as `(a+)+b` can hang the editor session thread at high CPU, causing a denial of service for that session. ### Details In `builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Nano.java`, the search implementation uses `Pattern.LITERAL` only when regex mode is disabled. When regex mode is enabled, the search term is compiled as a raw Java regex: ```java Pattern pat = Pattern.compile( searchTerm, (searchCaseSensitive ? 0 : Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE | Pattern.UNICODE_CASE) | (searchRegexp ? 0 : Pattern.LITERAL)); ``` This regex is then applied to buffer content. Because Java's regex engine is backtracking-based, nested-quantifier patterns can take exponential time on non-matching input. Affected source location: - `builtins/src/main/java/org/jline/builtins/Nano.java` - `doSearch(String text)` ### PoC 1. Create a file containing a long run of `a` characters and open it in the JLine3 `nano` editor. 2. Enable regex search mode with the editor's
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. FIRST EPSS
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
Check current vendor support and compatibility. After making a change, verify the deployed build and relevant runtime conditions. Keep the evidence, owner and time. An updated lockfile alone does not prove what is running.
04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
- NVD lastModified does not establish freshness of every associated CPE record.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
Each assertion retains its source. Mirrored records may repeat one underlying publisher; additional links are not independent corroboration.
- GHSA-ph9c-7hw9-vhhw ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
Observed . GitHub Advisory Database; CC-BY-4.0. Each advisory links its original attribution. Null normalizes fields.
- CVE-2026-77421 ↗
NIST National Vulnerability Database · official catalog
Observed . This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- CVE-2026-77421 ↗
FIRST EPSS · official catalog
Observed . FIRST EPSS; probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, not local compromise. Dataset date/model retained; FIRST services terms apply.
Public revision history
Only published revisions appear here. Routine fetches do not create a material-change event.
- Revision 4 ·
Dated EPSS estimate updated; this is not a new disclosure or proof of exploitation.
- Revision 2 ·
Dated EPSS estimate updated; this is not a new disclosure or proof of exploitation.
- Revision 1 ·
First indexed by Null; source disclosure date is shown separately.